The Way of Life

Epiphany Bible Study 2014January 5 - March 2

This common Bible study resource, The Way of Life: Ancient Wisdom for Today, joins together the scriptures from the Gospel of Matthew and selections from the Didache, thought to be one of the earliest Christian writing outside of the New Testament. The Didache was most likely written by second generation Christians as a type of “training manual.” As followers of the Way, these Christians lived their lives of faith in a religiously diverse and sometimes hostile society. The Didache, or “teachings,” helped shape for the community the ways they were distinct from the culture. As the Didache states, there is a way that leads to life and a way that leads to death. The early Christians believed that the way of Jesus, the way of love, was the way of abundant life.

We are in a time of transition today. Where once we may have been a Christian culture, we now live in a culture that is religiously/spiritually diverse and technologically savvy, in which people have many choices that compete for their attention. Some even feel that our culture is increasingly hostile to Christian practice. And often, Christians merge into their culture rather than living a distinct life of faith. These lessons will explore the ancient wisdom of the early church and discover what it might teach the church of today.